Newsom's request for resignations in San Francisco meets resistance

SAN FRANCISCO Many senior officials confused; some fear edict will backfire

Cecilia M. Vega, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, September 11, 2007

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's push to have hundreds of city department heads, mayoral-appointed commissioners and senior staffers in his office submit their resignation letters by the end of the week was met with pockets of resistance Tuesday, with some city officials vowing to defy the order.

The day after Newsom surprised most department leaders and told them to hand in their letters of resignation by Friday because he wants to start his second term with "a clean slate," some city officials bristled at the request and many were downright puzzled.

Port Commissioner Mike Hardeman, a longtime Newsom supporter whom the mayor reappointed to the commission that manages the city's waterfront, said publicly what others will only say privately: He does not intend to turn in a resignation letter, let alone step down from his post.

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"I don't think I'm going to, and I don't know of any other labor person that's going to," said Hardeman, who is active in local union circles and who has served on the Port Commission since 1994. "You took an oath to serve. ... There's not supposed to be any outside interference from the supervisors or mayor, and if you resign that means you're being influenced."

"I told our director that it wasn't the expectation of the commission that he do a resignation letter at all," she said. "We hire and fire the director. The mayor doesn't have any authority over it."

Through a spokesman, Hasenin said he would submit a resignation letter nonetheless.

Walker, who was not appointed to her commission seat by Newsom, called the mayor's request "horrible."

"We've all done a really good job," she said. "The mayor has the ability to appoint people...if he's not happy with them he should tell them point-blank. I'm not sure what this policy by press release is."

Newsom's request for resignation letters has sent shock waves through City Hall. Though the mayor reportedly gave a heads up to some whose jobs will be safe and to others whose jobs are on the line, many are worried that his edict could backfire.

Insiders say that valuable department heads could begin to look for new jobs outside the city or that they might hesitate to begin new projects and initiatives not knowing whether they'll have employment in coming months.

On Tuesday, Newsom said he is "not calling for mass firings."

Although he refused to say how many resignation letters he plans to accept, City Hall observers say the mayor is probably targeting a handful of individuals he wants to remove from their posts, but doesn't want to have to publicly fire. If accepted, the resignations would be effective Jan. 7, the last day of the mayor's current term.

Newsom, who is running for re-election in November but faces no serious political threat, insisted the move is about sending the message that his second term will be about change.

"It doesn't mean that people are going to be out on the streets," he said. "I'm going to take care of everybody. Nobody's going to be let go and worrying about a job. We're going to do it in a respectful and judicious way."

For those who refuse to send in their letters of resignation, Newsom said "I'll make a judgment. It's just good to know."

Newsom administration officials on Tuesday would not say how many resignation letters have been submitted so far. More than 375 officials in all were asked to hand in letters.

While many in City Hall speculated that Police Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese would be one official whose resignation letter the mayor would accept, Veronese said that's not the case. The commissioner, a Newsom appointee, made headlines in May when he went against the mayor's wishes and cast the swing vote to install a new Police Commission president.

"I have received a personal guarantee from the mayor that he will not accept my resignation, and I will continue to serve the families of San Francisco until my term expires in April of next year," Veronese wrote in an e-mail to The Chronicle Tuesday.

"It's so out of the blue," she said. "I'm still sorting my thoughts out. I'm surprised by it."

Though newly elected politicians in Washington and Sacramento often use similar tactics upon taking office, Newsom will likely face many hurdles in trying to force people to resign in San Francisco.

A handful of city department heads have contracts defining the terms of their employment and if their jobs are cut short before those contracts formally expire, the officials stand to collect hefty golden parachute packages.

Municipal Transportation Agency Executive Director Nathaniel Ford, for example, would receive more than $600,000 in cash and benefits if his contract is terminated without cause before it expires in 2011. San Francisco Public Utilities chief Susan Leal has a similar agreement and would receive two years base salary, or about $500,000.

On Tuesday, Supervisor Chris Daly, a frequent Newsom critic, sent a letter to all mayoral appointed commissioners encouraging them to ignore the mayor's request for resignation letters.

"Your resignation should only be forced for cause or if the call is coming from the people of our city," Daly wrote. "Otherwise, I would encourage you to continue your work of, by, and for the people of San Francisco."

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